Hyundai has revealed the exterior design of the production-spec Casper. The new model will be the smallest SUV in the brand’s global portfolio. It will first go on sale in South Korea and is expected to make it to India by early 2022, albeit with a different moniker.
Characterised by an upright and boxy silhouette, Casper has unique design details. Like most new Hyundai SUVs, the face gets a split-LED headlamp set-up. A bold grille, flat bonnet, flared wheel arches and generous body cladding all around are other interesting touches.
At the back, the tailgate gets a dual-tone look, with the upper-half finished in gloss black and also featuring triangular LED light motifs. The circular tail-lamps are positioned in the bumper below, matching the positioning of the headlamps.
The Casper is expected to be 3,595mm long, 1,595mm wide and 1,575mm high. While it is based on the same K1 platform as the Santro, it is shorter and narrower, albeit slightly taller, than the hatchback.
Hyundai has not officially revealed details about the cabin, or even about what lies under the hood. But it is most likely to get a 76hp, 1.0-litre naturally aspirated and a 100hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine in Korea. Both engines will come mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
It remains to be seen what engine options Hyundai will offer with the Casper in India. While the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit could be reserved for higher variants, to keep costs down, Hyundai might offer the Nios’ 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine or even the Santro’s 1.1-litre four-cylinder unit.
In terms of competition, the Casper will rival the likes of the Tata Punch and Maruti Suzuki Ignis in the Indian market.
